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Chivay, Peru
15° 38' S 71° 36' W
Sep 15, 2005 23:33
Distance 232km

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Proper Altitude Sickness

Text written in: English

Started our tour today to the Colca Canyon area. We stopped off at loads of traditional villages along the way and did all the touristy things like taking photos of locals in their traditional attire. It was all really good. Then we went to the highest point where it was snowing and the locals had made snow llamas instead of snow men which was quite funny. This was 4800 m so even I was a little bothered by it with a bit of a banging head. The guide gave us all cocoa leaves which apparently helps with the sickness and we had cocoa leaf tea and sweets. It was very cold from that point on really. Then we arrived at Chivay where we were going to spend the night. We dropped off most of the bus in the town centre and then we were taken to the back end of beyond to some huts about 40 mins walk from the town centre. The setting was beautiful but we basically had sheds. It was sooo cold, I mean 2 t-shirts, a jumper, a fleece, a jacket and wooley everything.

We then went to some natural hot springs which was soo needed it was boiling and it was just what the doctored ordered and there were hot showers. We were in luxury!!! Then it was back to the shack for about 2 hours before getting a lift back into town by our bus. There was a meal with folk music and we didn't really feel hungry (due to altitude) and didn't want to pay loads of money either, so we decided to get pizza. That's really when poor Kirst took a bit of a turn for the worst! The headaches started and we didn't have any cocoa leaves. Then we ended up in the town centre with no lift back (out own fault, doing jobs on the internet booking things) so we ended up on a rickshaw thingy. We went to bed with about 10 blankets no exagerations and fully dressed. Then Kirst woke up about 2am not being able to breathe. It was somewhat scary and she was quite ill. But you'll all be glad to know she's fine now and in good form. Oh what a night!!